Does anyone have any photos or information regarding the Husaberg's that were raced at the World 4-Stroke Title events in the USA during the 90's? At a guess the bikes would have been piloted by Shaun Kalos, Lance Smail or perhaps Guy Cooper or Mike Young. If my memory serves me well, the bikes were built by Russell Fletcher and were highly modified Husaberg's.

bahnsy

June 22nd, 2015 02:19 AM

This may have been one Husaberg hybrids that may have been raced in the US, not 100% sure. I do remember that if it stalled it was all over as they couldn't get a kick-starter to work in the alloy perimeter frame. At a guess a CR250 Honda may have donated some of the chassis to come up with this.

This maybe the Lance Smail bike, again not 100% sure as Guy Cooper was riding them around this time.. I'm led to believe that race numbers were unique to the event, they didn't necessarily use the riders national number.

This is Mike Young leading Lance Smail, both on Bergs' at what is believed to be the 1997 Glen Helen 4-Stroke World titles. Need some more detailed pictures, surely someone knows of these bikes and their spec.

I was at a Glen Helen 4-stroke natl, in I think 1997. Pretty sure Smail won at least one moto on the KTM. He, Kalos, and Young battled it out up front with Ty Davis on a Highly modded KLX365 giving them a good run. I don't remember it being the race where Young was injured, but we may have just not been informed. Pretty sure it was 1997, because the subsequent few years Doug Dubach was smokin 'em on his Yamaha.

I also recall Smail doing pretty respectable on the big KTM at a few Western SX's. One of the coolest things I remember was a Berg mounted Guy Cooper being the only rider who was trippling a set at the Vegas SX, until his rear hub let go and caused him to DNF. He was a badass! Sorry I didn't take pictures.

bushmechanic

June 22nd, 2015 04:55 PM

interesting Bahnsy thanks for taking the time

id have thought they would have been smart enough to make a new kickstart or cut the frame around it....

bahnsy

June 23rd, 2015 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bahnsy
(Post 163368)

This is Mike Young leading Lance Smail, both on Bergs' at what is believed to be the 1997 Glen Helen 4-Stroke World titles. Need some more detailed pictures, surely someone knows of these bikes and their spec.

Based on "Huskyfatman's" reply I looked closer (which I should have done in the 1st place) and the 2nd No-79 bike is indeed a KTM, not a Husaberg. If you look close you can see the exhaust running down the right side of the bike. I did notice that the front plate & radiator louvers were slightly different but put that down to consumables that get changed to suit the day, I should have looked closer.

bahnsy

June 23rd, 2015 12:24 AM

Looks like this has been covered before on this site.
Of interest is that BBR claimed (according to the author) a weight of 230lbs. For all the work they did they shaved a whole 6lbs of the Husaberg OEM 236lbs and built it into a chassis that is now claimed to be the worst ever twin spar aluminium chassis. If we remember back to the days when McGrath raced the 2-smokers in SX he hated the rigidity and there was all sorts of theory's that HRC were drilling holes in the back side of the frame to make it more flexible, more like his 95 steel frame bike. Its common knowledge that McGrath raced his 95 model with upgraded cosmetics and power plant in place of his 96 model cause it was too rigid.